Chalet is a perfect yarn for a cowl: super soft, thick, lofty and quick to knit. For a quick and easy stockinette cowl, grab a short circular needle, cast on 72 stitches and knit until you have the right height for your neck. Or try this week's pattern for a varied rib cowl with a bit more interest.

Once the first round of rib is established, just work the stitches as they appear - no need to look at the pattern again. And don't be dismayed by size of your pre-blocked cowl - the reversible rib pulls in an alarming amount but will easily block out to the correct size.

Chainette yarns are well-deserving of their popularity...the construction simultaneously provides strength and lightness. Add a luxury fiber blend of baby alpaca and bamboo to that inherent lightness and you have Chalet, a decadently soft yarn with a lovely drape in a chunky weight from our MountainTop Collection of yarns spun from natural, undyed fibers. Chalet looks great knit at a wide variety of gauges and textures.

More Patterns in Chalet

Chalet debuts this fall with six designs in a self-titled pattern booklet and each is a perfect pairing for the luxurious chainette yarn. Clockwise from the top left: Appenzell, a textured pullover with cable accents that is knit sideways; Matterhorn is a neck-hugging cowl with knotted cables; Snow Cap is a simple hat in mistake rib; Zermatt is a great beginner project in easy, biased stockinette/reverse stockinette stitch; Heidi is a classic crew neck cardigan with garter stitch panel accents; and Yodel is an fringed scarf or cowl made by casting on then binding off stitches.

The Chalet booklet of designs is now available at local yarn shops and the patterns are also available online as PDF downloads.